RECAP

Overview

RECAP connects a browser extension to an archive of PACER documents. When a user buys a document through PACER with the extension installed, a copy is added to the archive, where other users can access contributed records for free. That model can save repeat purchases, but it cannot guarantee that the filing a reader needs has already been contributed.

The archive contains tens of millions of documents and supports searching scanned PDF pages as well as other records. This is a substantial advantage for locating older or image-based filings. RECAP’s stated coverage is U.S. federal courts; it is not a broad source for statutes, regulations, or legal commentary.

Key features

Search and alerts

Users can search case law and dockets, use citation tools, follow cases for email notices of new filings, and save searches for alerts when new matches appear in PACER holdings. These tools suit ongoing case monitoring as well as one-off document searches. Installing the extension brings additional docket alerts.

Contributions and connections

Attorneys can add a personal CourtListener notification address as a secondary PACER recipient, allowing RECAP to process notices and contribute cases and filings. The archive is also offered through an API and as bulk data for journalists, researchers, startups, and developers. Webhooks can connect events on RECAP’s website to other systems; Free Law Project also describes a PACER-to-Google-Drive connector demo.

Privacy and restricted records

The extension’s privacy policy says it does not access PACER credentials or transmit information to third parties. It does upload federal records to CourtListener and sends CourtListener queries about requested records. The FAQ says the extension accesses PACER websites but cannot see browsing on other websites. It also says RECAP detects some restricted-document warnings and does not upload those documents, with additional ECF safeguards and a process for mistaken uploads. Users can report bugs through the bug tracker or by email.

Pricing

The RECAP extension is free, and the RECAP plan is 0.00 USD per free. Free access does not eliminate PACER charges for documents a user purchases. The pricing model is freemium, with paid access from $10/user/mo; the RECAP paid plan is therefore worth considering for users who need more than the free extension, while occasional searchers can start without a subscription. No free trial is offered.

Platforms

RECAP is available as an extension and on iOS and the web. The extension is central to contributing PACER purchases and adds additional docket alerts; web access supports archive searching, while iOS offers another platform for use.

Who it's for

RECAP is a strong fit for attorneys following federal cases, journalists and researchers looking for filings, and developers or startups working with court-record data through its API or bulk data. It is less suitable for readers seeking state or international law, statutes and regulations, or legal commentary. Users who need a specific filing should also be prepared for the possibility that it has not been shared and will still cost money through PACER.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Large shared archive: tens of millions of PACER documents are searchable, and contributed copies can spare later users a repeat purchase.
• Scanned-page search: searching scanned PDFs helps surface records that ordinary text-focused searches may miss.
• Useful monitoring options: case-following email alerts and saved-search alerts support continuing federal-court research.
• Data access beyond the interface: APIs and bulk data serve technical and research projects, while webhooks connect site events to other systems.

Cons

• Coverage depends on contributions: a document absent from the archive may still need to be purchased through PACER.
• Narrow legal scope: its focus on U.S. federal records leaves statutes, regulations, and legal commentary outside its stated search coverage.
• Free does not mean cost-free research: PACER may charge for documents users buy, even when RECAP itself is free.

Alternatives

CourtListener is the closest alternative for users who want a free web service with open-source technology and a defined free alert tier: non-members get 5 docket alerts, unlimited daily opinion search alerts, and 5 daily RECAP search alerts. Choose RECAP when the browser extension’s PACER contribution workflow and shared archive are the priority.

For Canadian legal information, CanLII is the more relevant choice: it is free on the web, with Search+ requiring a free myCanLII account and subject to a daily usage limit. Fastcase is a better fit for readers who need broader U.S. law coverage, including 50-state and federal law, appellate case law, and nationwide statutes and regulations; its Appellate plan is 65.00 USD per month, with no contract.

LegitQuest, Legal Information Institute, AustLII, BAILII, and CaseMine are other legal research options to compare.

Browse more options in Legal Research Software.

Verdict

Choose RECAP if your work centers on U.S. federal filings and you value a searchable, shared PACER archive paired with case and search alerts. Its strongest advantage is turning some individual PACER purchases into records others can find for free. Look elsewhere for statutes, regulations, commentary, or legal research outside federal courts, and budget for PACER charges when a needed document is not already in the archive.